Iris
by KeepCalmandLoveWriting
Summary: Ayame is a fiery, artistic athlete and Honda's dearest childhood friend. This is a story of two teenagers and their struggles...their struggles with school, their dreams, with friends, with family, with addiction, and with their love for each other. HondaxOC. Rated M for language and adult situations.
1. You & I

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! **

**Rated M for language and other adult situations. **

**Iris**

**Chapter 1 - You & I **

"Give it back, you jackass!"

Honda was sitting alone on the playground when he heard a girl screaming at a boy who was picking on her. It was her first day in Honda's class, and she was already making an impression. Honda may have been young, but he could tell two things about her: she was mean, and she liked to cuss. A lot.

"You asshole, give me my basketball back!" she shouted.

"Short girls like you don't play basketball." the boy laughed, taunting her with the orange sphere.

"You're just mad because I beat all of your slow asses at the relay races this morning!" she shouted back.

"Pfft, please! I could have beaten you if I was actually trying!"

Honda's mother had always taught him chivalry, so he couldn't stand by any longer and watch this bully torture his new classmate. He slid off the playground and headed over to them, tapping the boy on the shoulder.

"Give her the ball back." Honda said, glaring at him.

"Or you'll do what, Hiroto?" the boy asked.

"I said, give her the ball back."

"Make me."

Honda, giving the bully a taste of his own medicine, shoved him. The boy was bigger than him, and was barely fazed back by his efforts. The bully retaliated, and shoved Honda to the ground.

"Hey!" the girl shouted, grabbing the bully by the arm. "Don't be mean to him!"

"Shut up!" the bully said, pushing her out of the way.

As Honda watched the girl fall to the ground, he could feel himself getting angry. He stood up and threw himself at the bully, attempting to start a fight with him. His efforts were in vain, as the bully threw Honda back onto the ground and ran off to go tell a teacher.

"Here."

Honda looked up as he brushed off his face to see the girl standing above him, holding out her hand. She was awfully pretty. She had long, raven hair with bangs that framed her face perfectly. Her eyes were a bright shade of grass-green, and sparkling in her hair was a giraffe bobby pin. Honda took her hand, and she pulled him up.

"You're going to be in a lot of trouble." she said.

"I know." Honda said, rubbing his cheek.

"You're really cute. I like you. You're going to be my best friend, okay?" the girl demanded, still holding his hand.

"Um, yeah." little Honda replied, blushing bright pink. "I'll be your best friend."

"Good. My name's Ayame."

"I'm Honda."

"That's a cute name." Ayame said. "Today's my birthday you know. I just turned ten."

"Here." Honda said, picking up her basketball and handing it to her. "Happy birthday, Ayame."

"Thanks," Ayame said, smiling. "Honda."

**Eight years later...**

Honda stretched as he walked out his front door, ready for another long day. He took a long, deep breath before beginning his march to school. It was summer, his favorite time of year, and he loved the smell the air had in the morning. He wasn't exactly used to walking to school, so by the time he arrived at his destination his feet were screaming. He wasn't out of shape by any means, but he was used to getting picked up in the morning and driven to school, and he had become spoiled. On that particular morning, his usual ride had other obligations, so sadly, he was stuck walking. He changed into his school shoes, walked to his first class, and sat in his usual spot in the back, by the door. Shortly after, class started.

"Everyone, take your seats." the teacher said as she walked through the door. "It's time to start the lesson."

_"But, we're still missing someone."_ Honda thought, looking at the vacant seat behind his. _"She's late." _

Over twenty minutes of class flew by as Honda scribbled in his notebook. The classroom was usually silent, so when he heard the sounds of his fellow students whispering, he looked up. When he saw who was entering the classroom, he felt his heart skip. He grinned as she locked eyes with him, tucking a hair behind her ear.

"Miss Tanaka, you're very late." the teacher said, tapping her foot on the ground.

"I apologize." the raven-haired girl said, bowing slightly, her long ponytail falling over her shoulder. "I had something important to take care of."

"Take it up with the principal. I'm writing you up. Now, go take your seat."

She nodded politely and made her way to the back of the classroom. When she reached her seat, she hung her designer backpack on her chair and sat down.

"You're terrible." Honda whispered to her. "You know better than to be late to her class. You probably would have been better off if you hadn't shown up until our next class."

"She can be mad if she wants. I don't care." the girl said rudely. "Besides, I couldn't wait."

"Couldn't wait for what? You hate school."

"To see you."

Honda felt his face grow hot, so he turned around to pay attention to the lesson. Or, at least, he attempted to pay attention. He could hear her sketching on a piece of paper behind him, ignoring history class as usual, and it drove him crazy. He wanted so desperately to turn around and talk to her, but didn't. He wasn't dumb, but he wasn't as bright as some of his other friends either, so he needed all the help he could get. He wanted to go to college, and he didn't have the advantage his best friend sitting behind him had. When the bell rang telling them class was over, he finally was able to start a conversation with her.

"So, how did everything go with, Shuichi?" Honda asked her as the two of them stood up.

"Everything went great. The doctor said he should be able to play soccer in the spring without a problem." the girl replied as they walked into the hallway.

"That's great, Ayame." Honda replied with a smile. "I can't wait to see him."

"He's pretty excited to see you too." Ayame said. "We should make him something special for dinner tonight at my place."

"You mean _I _should make him something special. _You _can't cook for shit."

"Shut up, Honda." Ayame replied, blushing. "You're no gourmet chef either."

"Yes, but at least my food is edible."

"Oh, hush." Ayame said. "You know what tomorrow is, don't you?"

"Yes, of course. It's your-"

"It's my birthday!" Ayame squealed, squeezing Honda's arm. "I'm finally going to be eighteen!"

"Yes, and finally the start of our summer vacation." Honda sighed, ignoring the stares the two of them were getting.

"I know! We need to do something fun this year."

"You could try coming and hanging out with my friends so I'm not running back and forth like I am every summer." Honda replied.

"Um, no." Ayame said, throwing her backpack over her chair before sitting down.

"Please?" Honda asked, holding her hands in his.

"No."

"Pretty, pretty please? For me?"

"No. Don't think so." Ayame replied, crossing her arms under her small chest.

"Oh come on, Aya!" Honda begged, smiling at her. "You won't even give them a chance?"

"Remember the last time I gave them a chance?"

"I promise that won't happen again." Honda said, putting his hands up in front of him. "I'll make sure of it."

Ayame sighed deeply, closing her eyes for a minute. She didn't make friends easily, and that was fine with her. She had Honda, her co-captain Miki, her little brother, Shuichi, and her father. But she loved her best friend, and wanted to him to have a good summer. The previous summer, he was off on some adventure with his friends and was exhausted when he got back, so they didn't do anything together. So, for his sake, she caved.

"Fine. But-"

"Thank you!" Honda exclaimed, hugging her from across their desks. "You won't regret it, I promise!"

"Honda, sweetie, let me go." Ayame said, her cheeks bright red.

"Oh, sorry." Honda replied, letting her go.

"As I was saying," Ayame said, crossing her legs. "I will hang out with them. Once. If I don't like it, I won't be doing it again. Is that all right?"

"That's fine. At least you're making an effort." Honda said with a smile. "I think you'll enjoy yourself. I'll have to get together with the gang and come up with something fun for us all to do together."

"It sounds like so much fun." Ayame sighed, trying to act excited.

"Okay, stop hamming it up." Honda said. "We will do something for your birthday first. I know that's important."

"Um, you're damn straight it is. Too bad, Shu won't be there to join us."

"Oh yeah, that's right. He's got soccer camp. But how's he going to take part with the other kids with his wrist the way it is?"

"He's the captain, so he's going to watch." Ayame replied. "You can still learn a lot about the game from just watching."

"You've already taught him so much. One would think there wouldn't be anything else for him to learn."

"Being a good athlete takes discipline, sweetie. Which is why after summer break is over, I have to throw myself into planning this season. It's my last year of high school basketball, you know."

"I know. Do you have any colleges picked out?"

"No. I'm saving that for later."

"Don't procrastinate too long. You always do that when it comes to school."

"Speaking of school, the teacher is coming." Ayame sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, don't whine." Honda laughed. "Let's just make the best of today, all right?"

* * *

"See? That wasn't so bad!" Honda said as they made it to their lockers.

"Not so bad?" Ayame snapped as she slipped on her expensive blue heels. "I _bombed_ that math quiz. Coach is going to kill me at the start of the season if I don't get my grades up to at least a solid C-."

"I'll help you study." Honda said, wrapping his arm around her as they exited the building. "We always manage to get your grades up. It'll take some work because neither of us are the brightest, but we can do it."

"I am _not _spending my summer studying. Daddy is coming to spend our vacation with us, so no thanks."

"Kioshi's coming home, huh?" Honda said. "Cool. I've missed him while he's been gone."

"I know me too." Ayame said as they approached her fancy car. "He asks me about you every time he calls."

"He does? What does he ask about?"

"I will never tell." Ayame said, winking at him.

"All right, fine. Aya, I'm going to go home and change. I will meet you at your place, yeah?"

"Of course, sweetie." Ayame said as she slid into the driver's seat. "Shuichi will be waiting for you. He wants you to sign his cast."

"I will be there soon." Honda laughed as she backed out.

Honda watched quietly as she drove away and began to walk home alone. He normally didn't walk home; Ayame always drove him. If he did walk, he walked with his friends, so walking alone was odd to him. When he approached his home, he felt relief. He hurried in, greeted his mother with a kiss on the cheek, and rushed upstairs to change.

Honda's room had always been extremely tidy. Everything was perfectly organized, from the desk just as you entered, to the shower in his bathroom. Nothing was ever left out of place. He wasn't always that way. As a child, his mother had to remind him to clean up after himself, just like every parent has to. He just grew out of it as he got older, unlike a certain girl in his life.

_"She's never going to grow out of it."_ Honda thought as he pulled his black t-shirt over his head. _"She's always going to be a mess."_

Honda zipped up his biker jacket, grabbed his keys out of the bowl on his dresser, and jogged to the garage. He absolutely loved his motorcycle. Ayame had been begging him for over two years to get rid of it, to sell it for a car. He knew she nagged him out of love, which he appreciated, but it didn't make it any less annoying.

Honda sighed, a deep sigh of content, as he pulled up to his best friend's home. It was beautiful; it was a large, all-white house perched on a hill overlooking the ocean. It wasn't a mansion, but it was still much larger than his. He spent many years playing in that house, making memories with Ayame and her family, and he always felt good when he saw it.

After parking, Honda removed his helmet and saw a second car in the driveway; it belonged to Ayame's father.

"It's good to have him home." Honda said to himself as he took a step forward.

"Hey stranger." a man's voice said.

"Oh, hey Kioshi." Honda said, making his way to him.

"Look up," Kioshi said, a cigarette hanging from his lips.

The brown-eyed boy looked in the direction the man was pointing and was pleased by what he saw.

_"God damnit, she's beautiful."_ Honda thought as she saw Ayame sitting peacefully on her balcony, focused on her easel. She had changed out of her uniform into a simple white tee and crappy jean shorts, which meant she was painting. She had pulled her hair up into a tight, messy bun on top of her head, rouge strands falling all over her shoulders. Her tongue was sticking out slightly, and Honda knew not to disturb her until she was ready to be bothered.

"Avoiding homework again, I see." Honda joked as Kioshi let him in.

"When is she ever doing anything else?" he laughed, flicking his cigarette butt into the garbage can on the front porch.

"You know, you could put your foot down and tell her to do her homework."

"Ah, I wish. She's my only baby girl. Besides, I've tried. It never works. She's incredibly stubborn."

"You mean kinda like you?"

"Heh, you're right about that. I still wonder how her mother put up with me for so long."

"Same reason I put up with Ayame."

"True." the man laughed as he led Honda through his American style house. "I'm gonna have another smoke. Care to join me out back?"

"Sure." Honda said, following him outside. "That shit will kill you, you know."

"You don't know that. My father and his father smoked all their lives, and all they got out of it was yellow teeth. And nowadays, they have procedures to fix that. So I will be fine."

"Uh-huh," Honda said, rolling his eyes.

"So, are you ready?"

"Ready for what?"

"You're almost done with high school! It's an exciting time! I know Aya's thrilled as hell."

"Of course she is. She's hated school since we were kids. I, however, am not so stoked."

"Gonna miss your friends?"

"Yeah," Honda replied, thinking of his beloved companions. "I am."

"I'm sure high school won't be the last time you ever see them."

"I know, but they're all most likely going to leave. Anzu wants to go to New York. Yuugi and Ryou both want to move for college. Jounouchi wants to move closer to his sister. I don't know what I want yet."

"You'll figure it out." Kioshi said, running his fingers through his short, black hair. "You always do."

"I know. Hopefully I can figure out what I want sooner than later."

"You better. Speaking of that, guess what?"

"What?"

"Shuichi is applying for a very prestigious private school in Maryland. He wants to start going next year."

"I remember him mentioning something like that to me. They have a great soccer program, don't they?"

"Yep. I think he should be able to get in without a problem. And with me working in New York, I won't be as far away. They provide everything: housing, food, transportation, security. It's perfect."

"It sounds good, but don't you think one closer to you would be better?"

"I do, but you know Shuichi. He'd do anything to avoid me."

"Are okay with that?"

"He's my little boy. If it makes him happy and he's safe, that's all that matters."

"Honda!" a cheery voice called from the back porch. "You're here!"

"I am." Honda said, turning around to face Ayame.

"What have you got there?" Kioshi asked, his dark brown eyes glowing at the sight of his daughter.

"I just checked the mail." Ayame said, handing the man some envelopes. "I got a bunch of college stuff. A bunch of them all over Japan want to come see me play this season, see if I'm a good fit for their teams."

"You'd be a good fit for anyone's basketball team." Kioshi said. "Do you want to go to school?"

"I don't know." Ayame sighed. "I hate it enough as it is. I don't know if I can handle four more years of it."

"You don't have much time to make a decision." Kioshi said, his voice growing stern.

"I know Daddy, relax." Ayame said, kissing him on the cheek. "Honda, what are we making Shu?"

"I thought we could maybe do classic burgers and fries. I can grill them here, out back. How does that sound?"

"It sounds great. When should we start?"

"I'm going to start now. You, on the other hand, need to go wash up." Honda laughed, rubbing some blue paint off her cheek with his thumb. "You're a mess."

"All right, fine." Ayame said, pushing him playfully. "I'll go shower."

"Okay, hurry." Honda laughed as he watched her run back into the house.

"All right then," Kioshi said, putting out his smoke. "Let's get started."


	2. Dinner Time

**Iris **

**Chapter 2 - Dinner Time **

Ayame ran upstairs to her room, closing the door behind her. She pushed the power button on her speakers, playing music from her CD player. She loved American music, and like most students in her school, she spoke English quite well. Her mother was also from the United States, and she had taught her and her brother when they were children.

She looked down at a picture of the beautiful woman on her vanity and smiled. She had pretty light brown hair and green eyes, and was dressed in her Navy uniform. Her mother's parents weren't well off like Kioshi's, so she joined the military right out of high school.

"I miss you, Mother." Ayame sighed, a look of acceptance over her mother's death on her face. "I wish you were here sometimes."

Ayame's family had lost her mother when Ayame was just nine years old, when they were all living in New York City. She was in a car accident, something that killed many people each year in the states. There was nothing anyone could have done to prevent it. She died on impact, so it brought her husband and children comfort that she didn't suffer.

Shaking her head, Ayame walked through her messy room to her bedroom, stripping off her painting clothes as she went. When she entered the bathroom, she turned on the shower, and then turned towards her full-length mirror. She had grown up to be quite beautiful, and she knew it. Her body was slim and strong; the perfect athlete's body. Her hair was long, reaching the small of her back when let down, most of her bangs sweeping to the right. She had her long, thick eyelashes and a movie star face, but she was still insecure. Her face and hair may have been gorgeous, but she hated her body. The only thing about it that she was completely happy with was her stomach. She tucked her bangs out of her eyes and scowled at the part of her body she was least happy with: her breasts. Men liked girls with big breasts, and she wondered if her B cups would get her much attention.

When she thought about her body, the first girl to enter her mind was Honda's friend, Anzu. She had been envious of her fellow classmate's figure for years, and who wouldn't be? She was curvy and beautiful, and it made Ayame feel like garbage.

As Ayame stepped into the stream of hot water, the first thing she thought of was the young man downstairs, grilling burgers with her father. She couldn't understand why she was being so insecure; Honda often told her she was beautiful. In fact, it was often a word he used when greeting her. She didn't date, so why did she need to worry what other men thought? He was the only male whose opinion, other than her family's, that mattered to her.

Once she had scrubbed the paint off of her face hands and out of her hair, she stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel to dry off. She wrapped the towel around her body and went into her room for clothes. She threw on a matching pair of panties and a strap less bra, and then shuffled to her closet. It was a very warm summer day, so she chose a sundress and wedges.

She slipped back into her bathroom to blow dry her hair. As she sprayed it with product, she couldn't decide what to do with her hair; she wanted to look pretty for her father and Honda. She went to her large collection of jewelry in her vanity and chose a pair of bright blue stud earrings and a giraffe necklace Kioshi had bought her when she turned seventeen. After running back and forth from the bedroom to the bathroom, she finally decided on curling her long ponytail. Once finished, she headed downstairs.

When she reached the sliding glass doors that led out back she paused, smiling at what she saw. Honda was laughing as Kioshi tried desperately to brush his cigarette ashes off of his plate. Shuichi was outside as well, shaking his head, his brown eyes less than amused. Honda was cooking regular beef burgers for the boys, and for her, turkey burgers. He knew well of Ayame's strict diet, so he made sure to abide by it. When he spotted her watching them from behind the glass he smiled, waving her over.

"Hey beautiful," Honda said, looking down at her. "You were gone long enough."

"Do you want to curl my hair for me next time? Looking this good takes effort." Ayame replied.

"If it makes you feel any better sweetheart," Kioshi said, wrapping his arm around her. "I thought you looked cuter with paint on your face."

"Thanks Daddy," Ayame muttered, blushing as he kissed her on the head.

"I think you always look like crap." her fourteen-year-old brother snapped, lying through his teeth. He rather enjoyed pissing off his older sibling.

"Don't make me punch your cast." Ayame said, glaring at the boy.

"That's enough you two." Honda laughed. "Dinner is ready, dig in."

"Sweet." Shuichi said, using his good arm to grab a plate.

"So, are you hungry?" Honda asked Ayame as her family got their food.

" your ass in basketball in gym class today really worked up an appetite." Ayame replied.

"Hey shorty, I _let_ you win." Honda laughed.

"I am not short. You're just tall." Ayame said, playfully shoving him. "And I kicked your ass."

"Okay fine, you kicked my ass. Doesn't make you any less short."

"I am not short. I'm the same height as Mazaki, and I never see you making fun of her."

"I do make fun of her, on occasion. We make fun of each other. I'm the tallest guy in my group of friends, so it's too easy."

"I sure hope you don't make fun of poor Mutou. I'm pretty sure that would be considered a hate crime." Ayame said, putting a turkey burger on her plate. Honda knew she enjoyed spicy foods, so he had put some of her chopped jalapenos from the fridge in her ground turkey, and she smiled as she smelled it.

"No, I would never do that. Besides, I usually make fun of Jounouchi the most. He's a much more fun target."

"That's to be expected."

"Honda, you _actually _played basketball with Ayame?" Kioshi asked as they all sat down.

"We do every Friday." Ayame replied. "He's such a good sport about it."

"Good sport?" Honda laughed, taking the chair next to Ayame's. "Our score sheet is tied."

"_I'm_ the one letting _him_ win." Ayame whispered to her father as Honda grabbed his ringing cell phone out of his jacket pocket. Kioshi and Shuichi both heard her, and nodded in agreement.

"Hey Aya, I'll be right back. It's Jou." Honda said, getting up from his chair.

"Go ahead." Ayame said, eating a baby carrot.

While Honda was in the house talking to his friend, he could hear Ayame and her family talking to each other. In the Tanaka house, everyone spoke English to each other. It was Ayame and Shuichi's first language, and they were much more fluent in it than Japanese. Ayame had made it a point to begin teaching Honda when they were ten, and he was very fluent in English as well, so it didn't bother him too much. He appreciated it, more than anything. Everyone in Japan spoke some English, and there were always tourists in town.

When he got off the phone, he walked back outside, breathing deeply. The news he had for Ayame wouldn't make her happy, but he had to tell her anyway.

"Hey Aya, can we talk for a second?" Honda asked as she finished the last of her salad.

"Of course sweetie." she replied, covering her mouth full of food. "Let's go inside, I'm doing the dishes."

Ayame gathered up the dishes from the back yard and followed Honda into the house. He closed the sliding door behind him, and sighed to himself. He watched as she began rinsing the dishes and putting them into the dishwasher. She and Shuichi worked so hard to keep the house clean while their father was in New York, so he couldn't understand why she couldn't keep her room, bathroom, or her locker at school as clean as the rest of the house.

He quietly walked up next to her, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. He admired the kitchen as she cleaned, avoiding telling her what he wanted to say. He knew it was going to piss her off, but he had to.

"Hey Aya, do you rememberwhen you told me today that you'd hang out with my friends."

"I do. What about it?"

"Well, the only time we can really do it in the next week would be tomorrow."

"Honda," Ayame said, keeping her eyes focused on the dishes. "Tomorrow is-"

"I know it's your I know how important your birthday is to you. But Jounouchi and Anzu both have jobs, and it's the only time this week they both have the same day off. I want you to hang out with _all _of my friends, not just one or two of them."

"You promised we would do my birthday first Honda." Ayame said.

"We will still make tomorrow all about you, I promise." Honda said whiletaking her soap soaked hands in his. "Aya, this is important to me. Please, for me?"

Ayame rolled her eyes, looking up at his brown ones. He knew that she was a sucker for him, and he usually got his way. She had the same effect on him, so it was only fair.

"Fine." Ayame snapped, slipping her hands out of his and turning back to the sink. "But I swear to God, Honda, if they mess up my car-"

"Have I ever told you that you're amazing?" Honda said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"No, but I didn't need you to tell me. I already know that." Ayame said, pouting a little.

"Of course, how silly of me." Honda laughed. "Don't worry; I will make sure they know about the car."

Ayame's car was the only thing in her life that she kept completely tidy. Her father gave it to her for her sixteenth birthday, two years ago, and it still looked brand new...except for the scratch Jounouchi had put on it the last time she agreed to hang out with Honda's friends. She knew it was an accident, but it still made her mad. Honda knew it wouldn't have been such a big deal if her father hadn't purchased it for her. She took special care of all the gifts her family gave to her, and her car was one of her most prized possessions.

"Look, I promise, we will do something awesome for your birthday the day after tomorrow." Honda said, placing both hands on her shoulders. "Just you and me. Okay?"

"It's all right sweetie. Don't worry too much about it. And don't worry, I'll behave."

"I'm not worried about that." Honda said, leaning his back against the counter. "Trust me, I'm sure once they get to know you, they'll love you. Maybe almost as much as I do."

"Hmm, I sure hope not." Ayame said, winking at him as she finished up.

Honda crossed his arms over his chest, looking down at the floor. He felt guilty for suckering Ayame into hanging out with his friends, but he loved them all, and he wanted to see them get along. He wasn't really worried about her getting along with Yuugi or Anzu. Neither of them were immature, and even if they didn't become close, he knew they would get along for his sake, and they wouldn't be rude. It was Jounouchi he was worried about. Jounouchi was his closest guy friend, and he sometimes wanted the three of them to hang out. He often spent time with Miki, Ayame's only girlfriend, and they all got along just fine. He wanted that same thing with Ayame and Jounouchi.

"Honda, would you come with me to drop Shuichi off at his school?" Ayame asked. "His bus is leaving for Kyoto in about an hour, so we have to leave soon."

"Sure," Honda said, smiling. "I'll come with you."

After dropping off Shuichi, Ayame took Honda back to her house so he could get it bike. It was getting dark, and Honda wanted to go home and sleep.

"So," Honda said, his helmet under his arm. "I figured tomorrow morning we could all meet at your favorite place for breakfast, and then you can decide what you'd like to do after that."

"That's fine. Do you want me to pick you up in the morning?"

"Yeah, that would be okay."

"I will be there to get you around nine. Don't make me have to come in your room and wake you up." Ayame said, poking him on the chest. "Because if I do, you won't like it."

"Okay. I will see you in the morning then."

"Goodnight, Honda."

"Goodnight, Ayame."


End file.
